Dublin food and drink venue Cafe en Seine are advertising a drinks deal which guarantees a customer a half-price drink in exchange for their ticket stub to the Irish singer’s upcoming gig at the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin.

A Dublin bar which is using an image of reformed alcoholic Christy Moore as part of a drinks promotion has said the poster is ‘tongue-in-cheek’ but did not mean to ‘cause controversy’.

Dublin food and drink venue Cafe en Seine are advertising a drinks deal which guarantees a customer a half-price drink in exchange for their ticket stub to the Irish singer’s upcoming gig at the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin.

The poster features an close-up photo of the singer’s face and reads in large writing; ‘Christy – at The Iveagh Gardens, July 11th’.

‘Present your ticket at Cafe en Seine and get 50 per cent of your first drink,’ is written underneath.

Christy Moore is a reformed alcoholic and has a strict no-alcohol policy at his gigs. The singer was outspoken about his dislike for Diageo-organised Arthur’s Day last year and sang his protest song ‘Arthur’s Day Song’ on Prime Time on RTE last September.

Cafe en Seine’s general manager John Moriarty told independent.ie ‘a little bit more thought’ could have gone into the promotion but they didn’t mean to cause controversy.

“I used to work in a bar that Christy Moore frequented with his gigs, I know there is no alcohol served at his concerts but I never got the impression he was anti-alcohol period,” Mr Moriarty said.

“The poster and promotion is tongue-in-cheek, there is never any alcohol available at his shows.

“But it certainly wasn’t meant to be construed as us trying to promote ourselves by using his face.”

Mr Moriarty said using artist’s faces without their permission ‘could be trouble’ but they have not heard from Christy Moore’s management team regarding the promotion.

“It could be trouble – we haven’t heard from his management," he said.

"We’ve used other people’s images without permission on posters but maybe it could have been given a little more thought.”

Mr Moriarty said the promotion got a good response on social media and they only received a few messages from the Anti-Arthur’s Day group.

“We do hope the drinks promotion encourages people to come to us on the night but that was our only intention, we certainly did not mean to cause a stir or any controversy,” he said.